Date: February 22, 2017
Contact: Bill_Justice@nps.gov
Vicksburg, MS. – Vicksburg National Military Park Superintendent Bill Justice recently welcomed three new division chiefs to the park’s management team.
Scott Babinowich, Vicksburg’s new Chief of Interpretation, has been a park ranger for over 10 years. In his new role, Mr. Babinowich is tasked with overseeing the visitor center, USS Cairo Museum, and all park educational and interpretive programming. After studying the Civil War in college, his park service career took him out west for over a decade, working in parks such as Grand Canyon National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. He is excited to return to his original passion of the Civil War. Mr Babinowich stated, “I feel grateful and honored to help tell the amazing stories of the Vicksburg Campaign, and look forward to working with the community to tell the full story of Vicksburg.”
Rachel Davidson, Vicksburg’s new Chief of Resource Management and Resource Protection is from upstate New York, and has been working as a Law Enforcement Ranger on the Natchez Trace Parkway for the last 13 years. Prior to the Natchez Trace Parkway, Ms. Davidson worked in such diverse places as Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida and Boston National Historical Park. Ms. Davidson remarked, “I am excited to be working at Vicksburg National Military Park and with the amazing community that surrounds the area.” Ms. Davidson will supervise the resource protection staff, as well as the cultural and natural resource program managers.
Eric Ford, a 25 year veteran of the National Park Service, joins the staff of Vicksburg NMP as the new Chief of Facility Management. As a visitor, Mr. Ford was impressed by the USS Cairo and Pemberton’s Headquarters, and “now to be one of the stewards of these assets is an honor.” While at Vicksburg, Mr. Ford will be focusing his attention on infrastructure upgrades, preservation maintenance, and managing larger projects to meet the Park’s maintenance needs. Mr. Ford most recently worked at Cane River Cerole National Historical Park in Louisiana.
“We are excited to welcome these three highly qualified leaders to Vicksburg National Military Park,” remarked Superintendent Bill Justice. “Together, with the rest of our dedicated staff, we look forward to entering a second century of service by continuing to protect, maintain, and share the importance of this significant part of our nation’s history.”
For more information on park news, events and programs you can follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vicksburgnmp.nps or visit the Vicksburg National Military Park website at www.nps.gov/vick.
